Korean Job Discussion Forums

desultude · Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 9:30 pm Post subject: journals

Do you have your students write journals? If you do, how do you deal with them-

Do you assign a topic?

Do you read them?

Do you make written comments?

Do you grade them?

If so, by what criteria?

I have noticed that journal writing is used a lot by fellow teachers, and that some programs even set aside time for "journal writing classes", but there seems to be little agreement regarding methods and purpose.

I'm starting to do some research on this topic, and would love to hear what you people do.

merrilee · Joined: 13 May 2003 Location: South Korea

For the first few weeks (one journal assignment per week), I wrote one positive comment on each student's paper, and I made sure each comment was unique.

After a few weeks of positive reinforcement to encourage the students, I then started correcting errors. Since most errors are very common among all students, I generally picked one type of mistake to focus on each week. If you correct everything, the students will feel inundated and helpless- like they'll never be able to get it all right.

If, however, you only discuss one problem area to focus on for the following week, it is much more attainable for the students. Then just add one new problem area each week. Thus, in grading, I only deduct for errors that had been previously discussed.

Koreabound2004 · Joined: 19 Nov 2003

I have just started using journal writing with my high schoolers this semester. I thought I would try something new, and try to help out my introverts a little more.

I had them buy journals and decorate the front if they wanted. I give them about 10-15 mins at the beginning of class(if they are rowdy coming in it really helps get them settled down), or the last 10 mins of class. I have found that giving them a topic really helps, as they aren't very self-motivated and tend not to initiate such tasks too well without guidance.

I collect them once a week, read them, and make comments, put stickers on entries that are particularly well written. I am not permitted to grade my students...so I just try to give them feedback, and positive reinforcement.

Today, I handed them back for the first time with stickers and comments, and they seemed to enjoy it. I also kept about half a dozen of the best journals aside to show off, and rewarded those students with stars(I have a reward system in place). I think journals are a great idea!

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

When I was teaching teachers I gave them 15 minutes to write journals first thing every morning. I collected them and looked at them every day but I stressed to them that it was communicative practice, not for grammar. I'd usually leave comments so we had a nice little dialogue going. They could write about anything they wanted but I always had a list of ideas they could choose in case they weren't feeling inspired.

desultude · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 3:09 am Post subject:

If you don't make corrections, do your students get upset? I find my students ask me to correct their journals, and feel sort of shortchanged if I don't.

Do you talk with your students about the purposes for journal writing? I have been speaking with some of my students, and they have told me that they have had classes in which they have written journals, but never had a teacher explain why.

The stickers and comments approach has also worked well for me when I have taught camp with children. Stickers and a few kind words are magic!

Thanks a lot for your answers so far.

Kyrei · Joined: 22 Jan 2003

I was using journals before but marking and reading/collecting them became a drag when I had 300+ students. Now, I have a PHPBB board set up (same software as this one) on a website and have students post their answers to it. Topics are discussed in class first, notes taken, first drafts edited in class, and then final posts made to the board. They are surprisingly personal in their posts, and I allow them time to edit the posts, reply to each other, and so on, to promote English communication. At the mid-term, I will lock all the first-half-of-the-semester posts and assign some general grading based on the amount/type of errors that remain (we do a lot of editing in my writing class) as well as general content and quality/quantity of posts. While it is a very subjective mark, it doesn't count for much over all - the entire homework/assignments grade (i.e. things posted on the board, homework and readings done, etc.) counts for 20% overall.

One advantage to the board is that I can see when they did their homework, if/when it was edited, and so on. There are instructions to be followed in terms of setting usernames (real names + student numbers), getting into assigned usergroups (for each class), and so on that are stored as an audio file for them to download/listen to which acts as a partial listening lab as well. So far it is working out pretty well.

gypsyfish · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

I have my writing classes keep journals.

I explain that the journal is just for them to practice writing and tell them to write in them at least three times a week. If they write more than that, they get more credit.

I don't grade or correct their actual writing, just note that they have done it. Nobody seems to mind when I explain ahead of time. If they have questions, I do respond. I sometimes give them assigned topics to write about, but usually they write about what they want.

I have them put some graded assignments in their journals. For example, I have them writing five similes this week, and, rather than having them turn in another sheet of paper, they just put it in the journal and I do grade them.

The past two semesters I have had my students keep journals in loose leaf folders, rather than bound books, and it has worked out quite well. Before, I always had to bring a bag to carry the journals to my office, but this way, they just turn in the sheet, or sheets of paper, that are relevant for the week. When I give them back, students are supposed to put them in the folders.

Finally, I show them my journal to encourage them to write (as if the grade isn't enough). My journal is bound and I put pictures from my travels, poems, and quotations (lately travel and writing ones) that I print off the internet in it to make it more MINE. I encourage students to do so, too, to give them more investment in the journals, but few do. It's rewarding that a few do, though.

desultude · Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 5:36 pm Post subject:

gypsyfish · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Never used other journals as examples, but it might make for some interesting reading.

I have seen loose leaf paper and notebooks at various stationery shops in Seoul, and that would work, but what I have my students do is buy the clear plastic folders that have the plastic clips and then they can use any paper they want. Most use A3 size paper. The one I show the students is a little fancier; it's got a clip attached to the top of the folder and rotates down to secure the contents. It's like a movie scene clapper.